We meet at Taj Mansingh’s Wasabi by Morimoto, one of Vandana Luthra's favourite restaurants in Delhi. “Often, when my husband and I are driving back from work at night, we stop here to treat ourselves,” she says. And so, I let her order for both of us, waiting while she gives precise instructions to our server. I catch names like Yellowtail Carpaccio, Scallop Sashimi and Toro tartar, and it’s wonderful to watch the ease and familiarity with which Luthra places the order. She knows our server; he laughs as she asks him to bring her a plate of extra chopped chillies with her food. “I know you like your food spicy, Ma’am,” he says.
Once our extensive order is placed, and we are left to our own devices in Wasabi’s private dining room, Luthra talks about how much she enjoys her food. “I love trying new places, and I love certain cuisines. Italian, Chinese, Japanese. I cook them too. But what I cook best is Punjabi food.” There’s a homey, comfortable aura about Luthra, and while she is dressed immaculately, like the powerful business woman that she is, it’s easy to forget about the empire that she has set up while I speak to her. She exudes good humour, and her eyes brighten as she recalls her past, and the beginnings of VLCC. She remembers how she picked up the phrase “Wellness” in Germany, during her training in nutrition and cosmetology there. “My mother used to ask me what this wellness meant. It was a very new concept here.” But Luthra had always been independent minded. What she wanted, back in 1989, was to offer Indian men and women the opportunity to benefit from the latest technology in the world. “It wasn’t just about your face and beauty. I wanted them to experience holistic treatment, inside and outside.” The first VLCC outlet opened in Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave, and Luthra tells me about getting her friends in newspapers to carry ads, which helped bring her first customers to the doorstep. “I hired nutritionists, general physicians, beauticians, and we would offer a complete package to everyone.”
Today, Luthra has come a very long way, one that has put her on the wellness map not just in India, but in the world. VLCC’s operations span over 300 locations in 143 cities and there are direct company owned operations in 14 countries. Luthra’s single outlet has grown into the largest chain of Slimming, Beauty & Fitness Centres across Asia. “I feel blessed. I wasn’t religious when I was younger, but I believe in God and I remain grateful to Him today. I feel like there is someone looking out for me.”
And Luthra, in return, is always looking out for her employees. It’s the people who work for VLCC that make the company. “Today, I am their mother. I make sure that they know me personally, I guide them, I listen to them and I train them. You walk into any VLCC outlet and ask the employees who I am, and they’ll tell you that I am their mother.”
While Luthra is in the middle of telling me more about her company, our food arrives, and it’s impossible to take our eyes off it. There are plates and plates of delicate, beautiful sushi and sashimi rolls, a bowl of rock shrimp tempura that I find out later is impossible to not keep reaching out for, and the famous toro tartare, with fresh, flavourful minced meat that explodes with texture and taste in your mouth. Luthra takes her food with a side of extra chillies, and reminisces about her childhood. “When I was young, my father made sure that I understood the importance of money. We had money, but I was never allowed to spend too much. My pocket money was controlled and I used to get upset about it. Now, I understand what he wanted me to learn. I couldn’t have done all this without him.” Luthra also credits her mother and her husband for their support. “I practiced on my mother before I started,” she laughs.
Today, VLCC has its own line of products and a very strong research department. Luthra says that she ensures she is the test subject for every product. “I use them all first on myself.”
There is a lot of positivity around Luthra, and she agrees that she has consciously stayed away from negativity in her life. “I want to surround myself with happiness. That’s the only way to live.” Every night, Luthra dedicates some time to herself, emptying her mind and meditating through a good, soothing massage. “I put my phone away and think of nothing. That’s the time I cleanse my mind and body and reboot.”
Luthra believes that looking good can instil a person with the confidence they need to shine. She says that while it is not always important to wear brands and buy expensive, it is important to stay healthy, understand your body and look your best.
In our cool dining room, now filled with the aromas of all the food in it, we are nearing the end of our lunch, and the daunting quantity of food has disappeared miraculously. Luthra is due for another meeting, and I need to get back to work. So we say our goodbyes, and Luthra laughingly adds that while the formal handshake we began the meeting with was all very well, she much prefers parting on a hug.
